Meet the Musician

Musician 1st Class Jennifer L. Stokes,

Principal Bassoon

Jennifer Stokes joined the Navy Band in June 2009.  Originally from Webster Groves, Missouri, Petty Officer Stokes earned both a Bachelor and Master of Music in Bassoon Performance from the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts and was the winner of the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition, resulting in solo performances in Boston's Jordan Hall.  Her teachers have included members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Richard Svoboda and Gregg Henegar.

Prior to the Navy Band, Petty Officer Stokes taught bassoon at Plymouth State University and performed with the Atlantic and Glens Falls Symphonies.  She has also performed with the Revere, Longwood, and Newton Symphony Orchestras as well as the Chicago Civic Orchestra appearing with celebrated conductors Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Leonard Slatkin, and Gunther Schuller.  She has performed in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic, and Germany, and spent two summers at the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland. 
An avid chamber musician, Petty Officer Stokes was a member of the winning quartet in the New England Conservatory Mozart Competition.  Her own woodwind quintet, Bento, played the world premiere of Matthew McConnell's Wind Quintet, and also performed the challenging “Quintet” by John Harbison under the guidance of the composer.  She is currently a member of the Navy Band Windjammers woodwind quintet. In her spare time, Petty Officer Stokes enjoys sewing, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.